1st Day of School = My "New Year" Resolutions

My REAL LIFE:

So, it's that day:

• the alarm actually springs you out of bed
• you're excited to pack those lunches
• everyone's smiling and happy about school
• you take the obligatory first day pics
• you send them on their way
• the house is quiet

At least that's how it goes in our house...and has for the last fourteen years, if you count the preschool days.

So, today is a new day for Mom, too. It's the day I start planning how to reconstruct and reorganize my life. I've been at at-home mom (one with many side projects happening all the time) and summer is WONDERFUL for me because I spend so much of my time with my kiddos. But, I do look forward to getting some semblance of organization back now that school is in - even though, as an artist, organization is NOT one of my strong suits.

I'm also re-evaluating my health and wellness...re-starting my focus on keeping my body healthy.

(hands shake as I type this next sentence) AND I'M GIVING UP DIET PEPSI FOR GOOD!

I'm teaching private art lessons, too, which makes me so happy!

My AUTHOR LIFE:

A couple weeks ago I entered the #Pitchwars phenomenon on Twitter, thanks to the amazing Brenda Drake, the mastermind behind all the hubbub. Here's how it goes:

You scroll through all the author mentors and choose five whom you'd like to work with on a finished/polished manuscript. You fill out the Google form with all your info and select those five amazing women.

They take the next couple weeks to read all their submissions, request more of some authors and narrow down their choice to ONE.

The mentor and the author they chose then work together for two months sharpening scenes, killing off darlings (what we authors call cutting scenes and minor characters), polishing until your fingers bleed (well, that's an exaggeration, but almost). 

Then it's the agent round and, with the help of your mentor, your time to shine in front of some of the best literary agents in the business. All the while, hoping for that match made in Heaven that could get your book...your baby...into the hands of salivating readers everywhere.

TOMORROW IS D-DAY!

The day the mentors choose their mentee. There were over 1600 authors who sent in their work and only a handful of mentors-to-be. So, some of these amazing women and men read HUNDREDS of submissions and had to narrow them down to ONE.

So, I wait.

Of course, I follow my mentor choices and hang on every word they tweet. Their super vague hints OF COURSE are all about MY manuscript...jk

So, another of my "resolutions" for this year is to keep current with this author blog and document my journey. I've purposely kept my Mondays FREE for this school year so I have one day a week to re-energize and sort out all that needs to be done in the coming week. So, you may only hear from me on Mondays as I sit and eat my breakfast (like I'm doing now) or you may hear from me as I write and get stuck...and even when I'm procrastinating on a particularly difficult scene.

I am a "helper" by nature and want to give tips and advice to those of you who have a story inside of you and are looking for direction. I can not offer to read everyone's manuscripts and give advice or I'd never get my own writing done but I CAN point you in the direction of editor friends and beta readers who would be able to get you onto their reading schedule.

So, what am I working on?

Well, before the end of last year, I pulled the IN TOO DEEP series from Amazon and it's only available if you buy it used through Amazon sellers. My reason for that is long and drawn out and will probably soon be a blog post but the simplistic version is so I can re-write it and have it available for YOUNG ADULT readers.

WHEN I LIED is done...that's what's making its rounds at #Pitchwars.

I have SHIFT on the back burner.

I started a NEW book, called UPSTAGED, but it's currently sharing the back burner because an amazing agent asked what I was working on and I told her everything that was current as well as the ideas that just had jotted down notes in my IDEA journal...

Don't ya know, one of THOSE is what she was most interested in... so I've started a NEW, NEW book  for her. That book's working title is PURPLE HAZE.

...

...and now I need to take a walk...and check Twitter to see what my five mentors are HINTING at.

For those of you who have LIKED my AUTHOR FB page, I will always post a link there when there's a new post. If you haven't LIKED my page yet, please head over there and do it!

Also, I'd love to connect with you via Twitter, too.

I love reading comments and answering questions, so, please feel free to leave your thoughts below.

Peace.

Re-release of IN TOO DEEP is COMING

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BREAKING NEWS: On Solid Ground

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NEW CHAPTERS...ON SOLID GROUND

I am so excited!

IN TOO DEEP went over HUGE in the NA world. It's a tough book to read but one you can't put down...or so I've heard. When I say tough I'm refering to the rollercoaster of emotions you experience while reading. Just check out some of the reviews. And btw, there are more than 2,000 of you who have it on their to-read list...you may wanna move it to your read list.
In Too Deep

ON SOLID GROUND is the sequel and where it is similar in intensity to IN TOO DEEP, the intensity is NOT revolved around Gracie's broken heart...there are a couple new twists to the story my readers may NOT be expecting. But, based on the 5 STAR reviews it has gotten from bloggers who've received the pre-ARC, it's worth the stress.
On Solid Ground

The best part is, after a long discussion with my amazing editor, I have decided to add TWO more chapters to the end of the story to wrap up some loose ends with one of the characters.

SQUEEAAAALLLL!
I am so excited to get this book out to you! December can't come quick enough!! :)

Peace.

 

Gracie's best friend...Jake

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Yes, Jake is Gracie's best friend. Not just best "guy" friend...best FRIEND...on the planet. He is just that guy that every girl should have to help her navigate her relationships. He's honest but gentle with his words, he's a great boyfriend. For years, Gracie has watched the way he is with his girlfriend, Jessica. He really is the most genuine person she has ever met and she counts herself lucky to have snagged him as her BFF! ...oh yeah, and he's HOT!

The best way to introduce you to Jake is to let you peek inside a conversation they had in Gracie's apartment. Jake was the one she could count on to say the things no one else would... the things she didn't want to believe.

...enter, Jake...

          “Gracie, you are an amazing girl. You are beautiful and kind and you have the biggest heart of anyone I know.” He pulled back and looked me straight in the eyes. “But, you have to see that Noah doesn’t respect you.”

            “Jake!”

            “Listen, if no one is going to be brutally honest with you, I will, because I can’t stand watching you break.”

            “Stop.” I shook my head and put my face in my hands.

            “Gracie, listen to me. This is like a train wreck, everyone is watching and everyone is seeing the same thing. But for some reason you aren’t seeing the damage he is causing. This is eating you alive. He is stealing away the Gracie we all love and leaving and empty shell. It hurts me to watch. Honey, he doesn’t love you!”

            His voice was getting louder and his grip on my arms was a little tighter as he spoke.

            “Honey, he doesn’t love you!”

            I wiggled free and ran into the other room, “STOP IT, Jake!”

            “How does he show it? If he loves you, tell me what he does to prove it to you.”

            “He…well…”

            “See, you should be able to come up with something immediately. You can’t.”

            “How can you…”
            “He treats you like shit,” he started to tear up, “I see you crumble more each time we talk about what he’s done to you. He has changed back into the old Noah and he doesn’t deserve you. You are way too good for him. When are you going to see that?”

            “Jake, you are my best friend! My very, very best friend! How can you say these things to me? How can you purposely hurt me like this?” The last question came out as a whisper.

            He walked over to me and wiped my tears. He took my face in his hands and said, “Because sometimes being the best friend means telling the truth even when it hurts.”

            I crumbled in his arms and he helped me to the couch. I don’t know how long we sat there but I eventually cried myself to sleep. When I woke up I was covered up with a blanket and there was a note jotted on the receipt from our last take out order,

“Remember to not settle. You are worth so much more than you give yourself credit for.

Love you to pieces, Jake”

You like him, don't you? Yeah, he's hard not to like!